Cable tightener



Sept. 29, 1925.

A. BOYNTON CABLE TIGHTENER Filed lay 29. 1925 ATI'ORNEYS Patented Sept. 29, 1925.

ALEXANDER BOYN'IGN, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

CABLE TIGHTENER.

Application filed May 29, 1925.

T (ZZ whom t may concern:

Be itknown that I, LI.EXANDER BOYNTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Antonio, in the county of Bexar, State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cable Tighteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in cable tighteners and aims to provide a 0 device of this character whereby slack in the cable may be readily taken up and the requisite tension placed on the cable, the cable being firmly and securely held at the proper tension.

A further objectresides in the provision of a cable tightener having these advantages and capacities and which may be read ily and easily operated to place the required tension on the cable and which also may be readily released when it is desired to slacken the cable.

A still further object resides in the provision of a cable tightener of this character which is of simple and durable construction,

reliable and effective in operation and easy and comparatively inexpensive to manufac ture.

' Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of the construction, arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a cable tightener constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is a central section illustrating the cable tightener shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 shows a slightly different form of cable tightener,

Figure 4 showsanother modification of the cable tightener, and

Figure 5 shows a still further modification of the cable tightener.

In all embodiments of the invention the cable tightener comprises a rod 1 having in its periphery a spiral cable-receiving groove 2. At one end the rod 1 has a head 3 integrally formed therewith or otherwise suit ably fixed thereto. The head 3 is formed with. a transverse slot 4 having opeiin s through one side of the headand exten s the winding nuts.

Serial No. 33,856.

winding nut 6 is turned on the rod 1 it is advanced axially of the rod due to its threaded connection with the rod. Of course, the direction in which the nut moves axially depends on the direction in which it is turned. The winding nut 6 has a cable or wire-receiving slot 7 which extends into the nut from one of its faces and which is designed to receive and engage the wire or cable so as to cause the same to be coiled or wound into the spiral groove 2 when the nut 6 is turned and the rod 1 is held. For this purpose the slot 7 is slightly curved at the point where the wire enters the slot after leaving the spiral groove 2 of the rod, this curvature being designed to bond the wire into the spiral groove 2 without scraping or kinking the wire.

The several different forms of the invention differ from each other mainly in that they disclose the various types of means for holding the winding nuts in position but in connection with these several forms of the invention slight variations are shown in the formation of the cable receiving slots 7 of For instance, in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 overhangingretaining shoulders 8 are provided at the entrance to the slots 7; whereas, in Figs. 4 and 5 the entrances to the slots are flaring. v

'In Figs. land 2 the winding nut is held in position by means of a lock nut 10 threadedly engaged with the spiral rib 2 of the rod and having an obligue or inclined slot 11 to permit the nut to pass over the wire or cable C. The wire or'cable C as it passes through the locking nut 10 is received in a longitudinal groove 12 formed in the rod.

. In the form of the invention shownin Fig.., 3 the winding nut 6 has a 111g 15 integral therewith. The lug 15 is provided with a pair of bolt holes designed 1egs of a U-bolt 16. Nuts 17 coact w1th the y to receive,the

U-bolt and with the lug 15 to clamp the winding nut 6 in position on the rod 1.

In the form of the nvention shown in Fig. 4 a J bolt 20 is provided and has its shank received in a transvcrse opening formed in the rod l. The curved portion 21 of the J bolt extends around the cable C and is urged into clamping engagement therewith by means of a nut 22 threaded o11the shank of the bolt and engageable with the rod 1.

In the form of nvention shown in Fig. 5 the means for holding the winding nut 6 in adjusted position on the rod 1 comprises a channel member 25 having a base or body portion 26 and side flanges 27, the side flanges 27 engaging the head 3 and also the winding nut 6. A U-bolt 28' and nuts 29 co-act with the rod 1 and with the channel 25 to hold the flanges or channel erigaged with the head 3 and with the nut 6.

In all forms of the nvention slack in the cable may be readily taken up and the requisite tension placed on the cable by simply extending the cable through the slo'tted head 3 as shown in the drawings and winding the same to the desired extent in the spiral cablereceiving groove 2 of the rod 1 by means of the winding nut 6. When the cable has been wound on the rod to the extent necessary to place the clesired tension thereon the means employed for fastening the winding nut 6 against movement is'adjusted to perform this function.

I claim:

1. In a cable tightener, a rod having means at one end adapted to hold the cable against movement, and windi1ig means mounted on the rod and cngageabl with the cable for winding the same on the rod whereby to tension the cable and means tor preventing unwinding of the cable.

2. In a cable tightener, a rod having means at one end adapted to hold the cable against movement, winding means mounted on the rod and eng'ageable with the cable for winding the same on the rod whereby to tension the cable, and fasteningmeans for holding the wit1ding means'in adjusted position.

3. In a cable tightener, a rod, means at one end of the rod for holding the cable against movement, a Windi ngnut having threaded engagement with the rod and engageable with the cable for wi1iding the same thereon,and means for holding the Windihg'iiut in .adjusted position.

4:. In a cable tightener, a rod, a head fixed to one end.ofthe rod and having slots designed tor'eceiv'e thecable and to hold the same against movement, a winding nut havmg threaded engagement with the rod and engageable with the cable for winding the same thereon, and Ineans for holding the to one end of the rod and having transverse slots, the cable being extended through one of the longitudinal slots then through the transverse slot and then through the other longitudinal slot whereb v the cable is held against movement, a winding nut having threaded engagement with the rod and cngageable with the cable for winding the same thereon, and means for holding the winding nut in adjusted position.

6. In a cable tightener, a rod having a spiral rib and a spiral wire-receiving groove between the convolutions ot the rib, means at one end of the rod for holding the cable against movement, a winding nut having a threaded opening threadedly engaged with the spiral rib of the rod, said winding nut having a cable receiving slot engageable with the cable to coil the same in the grooves of the rod when the nut is turned and the rod is held, and means for holding the winding nut against movement.

7. In a cable tightener, a rod having a spiral rib and a spiral wire-receiving groove between the convolutions of the rib,means at one end of the rod for holding thecable against movement, a winding nut having a threaded opening threadedly engagedwith the spiral rib of the rod, said Winding nut having a cable receiving slot engageable with the cable to coil the same in the grooves of the rod when the nut is turned and the rod is held, the slot of the winding nut having a curved wall designed to bend the cable into the spiral cable-receiving groove of the rod without scraping or kinking the cable.

8. In a cable tightener, a rod having a spiral rib and a spiral wirereceiving groove between theconvolutions of the rib, means at one end of the rod for holding the cable against movement, a winding nut having a threaded opening threadedly engaged with the spiral rib of the rod, said winding nut having a cablereceiving slot engageable with the cable to a coil the same in the grooves ot the rod when the nut is turned and the rod is held, and means for holding the winding nut against movement and comprising a lock nut threadedly engaged with the rod and having an inclinedslot to permitthe lock nut to be mounted on the rod, said rod having a longitudinal groove accommodating the cable after the same passes through the looking nut. r

9. In a cable tightener, a rod having a spiral rib and aspiral wire-receiving groove between the convolutions-of the rib, means .at one end ofthe rod for holding the cable against movement, a winding nut having a .threaded opening threadedl5 engaged with the spiral rib of the rod, said winding nut having a cable receiving slot engageable with the cable to coil the same in the grooves of the rod When the nut is turned and the rod isheld, and means tor holding the winding nut against movement and comprising a Ubolt and nuts, the winding nut having a lug co-operable with the U-bolt and nuts, whereby the winding nut may be clamped in position.

10. In a cable tightener, a rod having a spiral rib and a Spiral wirereceiving groove between the convolutions of the rib, means at one end of the rod for holding the cable against movement, a winding nut having a threaded opening threadedly engaged with the spiral rib of the rod, said winding nut having a cable receiving slot engageable with the cable to coil the same in the grooves of the rod when the nut is turned and the rod is held and means for holding the winding nut against movement and comprising a J bolt having its curved portion designed to clampingly engage the cable, and a nut cooperable with the shank of the J bolt for holding it to the rod.

11. In a cable tightener, a rod having a spiral rib and a Spiral wire-receiving groove between the convolutions of the rib, means at one end of the rod for holding the cable against movement, a winding nut having a threaded opening threadedly engaged with the Spiral 1'ib of the rod, said winding nut having a cable receiving slot engageable with the cable to coil the same in the grooves of the rod when the nut is turned and the rod is held, and means for holding the wnd ing nut against movement and comprising a channel engageable with the winding nut, and means for clamping the channel on the rod in engagement with the winding nut.

ALEXANDER BOYNTON. 

